Recruit Review: Trevion Stevenson
After a busy few months of recruiting, Trevion Stevenson has flipped his commitment from Pittsburgh to North Carolina.
He is a three-star defender from Hampton, Virginia and plays at Phoebus High School. The UNC commits from the 2021 cycle have been buzzing the last few days about a ‘surprise’ that Tar Heel fans would be happy about. It would appear that Stevenson is that surprise, or at least the beginning of it.
Scouting Report
Stevenson offers a different kind of talent to the Tar Heels’ 2021 class. While Keeshawn Silver and Jahvaree Ritizie offer more of a traditional defensive-end build, Stevenson fits more in that hybrid mold that Jay Bateman and crew have been searching for in this class. Listed at 6’5” and 217, he is a long and quick player.
He could play defensive end or outside linebacker at UNC, though it would be no surprise for him to be the type of player that Bateman loves to move around to cause matchup problems. He will not be overpowering college tackles too often, but his versatile will allow him the opportunities to make plays. This was often seen at the high school level. He would line up as an outside backer, his hand in the dirt as a defensive end, or sometimes even shifted inside as a defensive tackle on slower guards.
Stevenson was extremely productive as a junior, tallying 15 sacks last season.
He has a good knack for getting to the ball. On top of his impressive numbers getting to the quarterback, he also forced four fumbles last year.
The best thing about Stevenson is his upside. The physical tools are there. He is very long and he’s a fluid player. He has an instinct for the game. He does well at reading the defense and not waiting for a player to develop before making a move. Most of the demerits at that come out in his film are coachable. A lot of his benefits are not.
There are several things that Stevenson will need to work on in order to make the jump into Carolina’s rotation. Considering pass rushing will be his top asset when he gets to Chapel Hill, he will need to refine his pass rushing moves. He naturally has good hand placement but will need to be more active in shedding blocks. ACC tackles will be far quicker and stronger, so an expanded repertoire of moves will be necessary.
If Jay Bateman does want to move him around, which seems likely, Stevenson has to study coverage schemes. It will be too predictable if the offense knows that he is rushing every time he is on the field, so bluff blitzes and standard man and zone techniques will have to be in Stevenson’s back pocket. This will also allow him to get on the field more consistently.
Strength is also a must. While UNC has focused on landing athletic, versatile players on defense, adding power will be key to several of those commits. He has a great frame for adding some strength, and much of his first year on campus will probably be focused on getting him physically ready for the collegiate level.
Stevenson is considered a three-star prospect, but his stock is rising. After being committed to Old Dominion earlier in the year, he started to receive more offers. That is why he flipped to Pittsburgh. As his recruiting continued to ramp up, bigger schools started to lay down offers. The likes of UNC, FSU, Penn State and SEC schools were on the phone with him more. In just a couple days he decommitted from Pitt and chose the Tar Heels.
He is definitely the type of athlete that the Tar Heels have been after this summer. With extremely versatile linebackers like Power Echols and RaRa Dillworth already committed, Stevenson knew Carolina was trying to make this a unique defense. One that he knew he could fit in.
